Film treating apparatus



y 1951 H. H. KLEMOLA 2,551,329

FILM TREATING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 15, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IHIIENTOR Harold H. Klcmola BY WM 5W /ZW ATTORNE Y3 M y 1951 H. H. KLEMOLA 2,551,329

FILM TREATING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 15, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INUENTOR Harold. H.Klemola. .ev WM fWk MJ ATTORNEYS Patented May 1, 1951 UNITED" STATES PAT ElSl T or FlC E- 255L329 FILM TREATING APPARATUS" Harold H-"Klernolm-Los Angeles;v Cflifigl assigii'or to. Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation, Hollywood, Calif., a corporation of. Maine; Application'Alig'list 15, ioiaseriamt;setfl za s-olaiins. (01: 91- 12) This invention relatesto: strip: treating: apparatus and more particularly to apparatusl for applying a stripe of liquid. to. alongitudinal? zone of cinematographic film, such asv a: stripe of. senasitizing. solution to. the sound-track; zone; of: film. In some. cases: the apparatus: comprises: a; nozzle or other device extending into such) close: juxtaposition to the film that a film splice-i or-other thick part ofv the. film interferes; with: the; operation of the device.

Objectsof the invention: are to-avoid'. theaforesaid interference and to provide means for retracting' the device which: can. be: operated either manually or automaticallmwhich returnsthe: device accurately to operative positionaftera thick part of the strip. has passed, and which is convenient and reliable in'use;

According toi'thepres'ent inventionthe apparatuscom'prises means for guiding filmalong apredetermined path, film treating means extending intoj ux-taposition to th'e'filmat oneIocationalong the'path, controlmeansresponsiveltoa changein thickness or light transmissivity ofv the film,v and m s responsive to the control means forregulat ing the treating means, the control means: being located along the path; iniadvancee of the; regulating means.

In thespecific: embodiment of:- the invention chosen for illustration the film treating means comprises a liquid bubbl'erextending; into juxtaposition to the underside ofithePfilHrlfOIl apply;- ingliquid to the film and the regulating; means comprises means for retracting the bubbler away from the pathzof the film. Preferably the control means comprises a. photo-electric device responsive to light, transmitted through the film,- so that a change in light transmissivity'ofi the: film operates the device. and also; means to keep'the treating means. retracted. until the: thick: part has passed the treating means; In the preferred embodiment the latter means comprises: a slowacting relay which keeps the controlrci'rcuit closed for the necessarylength of'time. The: apparatus may also comprise-a controller having onerposiition in which the-treating meansz remains-re:- tracted, another position in which the treating means is retracted only in response to. the; aforesaid control means and anotheriposition in which the treating means isunresponsive'to' the. control means.

For the purpose of illustration a typical embodiment of the invention isshownin-the ac companying drawings inwhich Fig; 1' is adiagram showing the controller in z theposition' here the -fi1 m treating device re mains retracted Fig: 2 is a similar view showing the" controller Figs; 6; '7 and 8 a re sidyend-and topviewsof the 'pre'f'rred bubbler and retracting mechanism;

The particular embodiment of the invention shown for the purpose of illustration comprises apparatus for applying" astripe of sensitizing: liquid to. the sound-track zone of motion pictur'e film Fwhioh is =32 mm: wideand has perforations such as use'din 16 mm. so thati when split down the middle it affords two standard lfi mm. films. As shown in Fig 4*the sensitizing liquid is applied to the central'z on e of" the filin by meahs of" a bubbler I havingme orifices 2 on opposite sidesor the center line of thefilm; Thus when the film-'i s'*split it has a shsi'tized zone along each -unperforated edg'e As showninPFig-i 5 the bubbler I receive's liquid through an axial-fduct 3 and is surroundedby a sleeve 4" to: receivealh of the liquid overflowing from" thefilc'ubbler except the stripe orliquin whicn:adheres-tonnem, the sleeve l having anfoutl'et 6 through which the Iiquid-returnsto the supply reservoir to be re circulated. While the two orific'es mja'y al l ly separatestripes to the film the pressure of the liquid is preferably sufficientto cause the two fountains to merge into one'which rises" high enough to deposit on the film a lowridge of liquid-"which covers-substantially the entire sound' track zone pefiween me two rows of'picture area-Si Referring to th e diagrammatic mustrations in Figs; 1, Zand 3 the' bubbler l issh'own aspivotal position shown in Fi'gsZ toj'the retracted position shown in Figs? 1 mm; The buhbleris retracted by means of" a pi'ston 'B sIiding-ina? cylihder' aa'nd is returned tooperative positiorr byfmea n s of-a' spring II in the cylinder; Con pressed'air or other meme-(1min "is supplied tothe cy-lindr t' the bubbler, whereby air is admitted through pipe I1, passage I8, pipe I 9, port 2| of valve I2 and pipe 22 to retract the bubbler. When the pointer I6 is moved to the Film position, as shown in Fig. 2, air is exhausted from the cylinder 9 through the pipe 22, the port 2I, pipe I9, passage I8 and exhaust pipe 23, thereby permitting the spring II to return the bubbler to operative position. When moved to the off position fluid can flow through the valve in neither direction.

The magnetic valve I4 is controlled through the medium of a time-delay relay 24 by a photoelectric cell 26 operated by light passing through the film from a source 21. When a splice, such as indicated at 28 in Fig. 3, or other opaque part passes across the light path, the beam of light from source 21 to cell 26 is interrupted, whereby the time-delay relay causes the magnetic valve to move from the upper position shown in Fig. 1 to the lower position shown in Fig. 3. Then air passes from pipe I! through branch 3I, port 32 of valve I2, pipe 22 and thence to cylinder 9, thereby retracting the bubbler. The parts are so designed and located that the bubbler is retracted before the splice reaches it and, by virtue of the time-delay relay, the bubbler remains retracted until the splice has passed it. Whereas Figs. 1, 2 and 3 show the bubbler and retracting mechanism diagrammatically, Figs. 6, 7 and 8 show the preferred mechanism in detail. As shown in these figures the mechanism for supporting the nozzle comprises a block III pivotally mounted on the back plate I by means of a bolt H2. The lower end of the block III has a slot H3 (Fig. 6) which is concentric with the pivot H2 and extending through the slot I I3 is a bolt II4 fast to the back plate. To retract the nozzle from the film the block III is moved clockwise about the pivot H2 until the right end of slot H3 engages the bolt II 4. Movement of the nozzle toward the film is limited by an adjustable stop H6 mounted on the back plate I0 to engage an abutment II! on the lower end of the block I I I.

The nozzle is supported on the block I I I throu h the medium of a support comprising a back part I and a front part I22 pivoted together at I23. The back part I2I is provided with a gib I24 slideable vertically in a dovetail guideway in block I I I. The gib is adjustable in the guideway by means of a micrometer screw I26 threading through a lug I21 in the lower end of block III and thence in an arm I28. Thus the spacing between the end of the nozzle and the film may be adjusted approximately by means of the screw I I6 and accurately by means of the micrometer screw I26.

Adjustment of the nozzle edgewise of the film is efiected by means of a screw I3I threading through the front part I22 of the support and thence into the rear part I2I. At the end opposite the pivot I23 the front part I22 is bifurcated to straddle a lug I33 on the back part I2I accurately to guide the movement of the front part I22 toward and from the back part I2I.

The nozzle is clamped in the front part I22 of a clamp I32 pivoted at I35 and a screw I36. By loosening this screw the nozzle may be angularly adjusted about its own axis to align its two apertures transversely of the film. The nozzle is provided with a pointer I31 cooperating with a scale I38 to indicate its angular adjustment.

For the purpose of swinging the nozzle support clockwise about the pivot H2 from the operative position shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 to the retracted position wherein the right end of the slot I I3 engages the bolt I I4, the following mechanism' is provided. The cylinder 9 is pivoted on the plate I0 atv I42. Sliding in the cylinder is a piston 8 which is connected to the block III through a rod I44, an arm I46 and a connection I41 between the rod and arm. In the rear end of the cylinder 9 is a spring II which normally holds the parts in the operative position shown in the figures. When air or other fluid medium is introduced into the forward end of the cylinder through the inlet I49 the piston 8 is moved toward the rear of the cylinder to retract the nozzle support.

From the foregoing it will be evident that the present invention avoids interference with a bubbler or other film treating means juxtaposed to the path of the film by splices or other thick parts of the film, that the device may be retracted automatically by the photo-electric means or other suitable control means when the pointer I6 is in one position and, when the pointer is moved to another position, the device remains retracted indefinitely.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for treating a longitudinal zone of film which transmits light comprising means for guiding the film along a predetermined path, means for applying fluid to the film and normally disposed closely adjacent said film at one location along said path and movable away from the film to a retracted position, means normally holding the fluid applying means in said normally disposed position, operating means connected to said applying means for moving the applying means to said retracted position, control means including an element sensitive to light transmitted through the film and positioned at a location a substantial distance in advance of said first location, said element being disposed adjacent the film to receive light through the film, the control means being connected to said operating means to cause the operating means to move the applying means to said retracted position in response to change of light transmissivity of the film.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 further characterized in that said applying means comprises a bubbler presented to the under side of the film as it travels along said path.

3. Apparatus for treating a longitudinal zone of film which transmits light comprising means for guiding the film along a predetermined path, means for applying fluid to the film and normally disposed closely adjacent said film at one location along said path and movable away from the film to a retracted position, means normally holding the fluid applying means in said normally disposed position, operating means connected to said applying means for moving the applying means to said retracted position, control means including an element sensitive to light transmitted through the film and positioned at a location a substantial distance in advance of said first location, said element being disposed adjacent the film to receive light through the film, the control means being connected to said operating means to cause the operating means to move the applying means to said retracted position in response to change of light transmissivity of the film, said control means comprising a controller having one position in 5 which the applying means remains retracted and another position in which the retracting means is retracted in response to said light-sensitive means.

HAROLD H. KLEMOLA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Wood May 17, 1921 Gefis Mar. 9, 1937 Johnson Mar. 5, 1940 Pattison Apr. 28, 1942 Kohler Feb. 22, 1944 Dimmick Oct. 1, 1946 Dimmick Oct. 14, 194? 

